How international students at RU feel about the 2016 presidential election

Whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump wins, whoever becomes our next president will have a huge impact on future American policies ranging from immigration to economy to Supreme Court nominations. Being the leader of the free world, American politics have been closely followed throughout the world. Although they are not registered voters, the international community at Rutgers also has their own distinct views regarding the current elections. Here’s what some of them had to say.

Haliza Halim, Class of 2019, Psychology and Human Resources Major, Malaysia

What are your views about the two major candidates?

Honestly, I feel somewhat appalled by both the candidates. They both have done some really bad things in the past, which some they did not apologize for. It is horrible to think that one of them would become the president of this very developed country. Would they own up to their mistakes, or will they go their old twisted ways?

Is the presidential election fight as you expected it to be or is it worse?

I didn’t expect much when I first heard the phrase ‘presidential debate’. I thought it was going to be a civil debate where the candidates were going to speak with passion and manner about what they want to do, regardless of how outlandish it might be, because lets be real, sometimes you can’t do much, even when you are the president. It was something new to me and I was excited to experience it. However, I didn’t think that it would turn into a fight. Honestly, their fight revolves around making each other look bad, instead of focusing on what each of them was fighting for and their plans in making the country a better place. To be honest, it was a little bit too childish for me, and it ended weirdly and badly.

How do you feel about the provocative, derogatory remarks made by Trump against women?

I feel like it was somewhat expected from Trump, since we know he does have a ‘colorful’ personality. But, even with the knowledge that he is capable of saying those blatant and horrible remarks, it wasn’t right and I was truly shocked and outraged for the most part. Trump does say a lot of degrading and demeaning remarks, and I feel that it should not be tolerated. Since I myself identify as a woman, I feel such hatred towards what he has said, and somehow feel powerless but I cannot really do anything. And I know for a fact that other women out there – well most women out there – feel the same way: undignified, horrified, insulted and terrified.

Being Muslim, what do you think about the ban Trump’s proposing and what would be your message to him?

I was furious, obviously. He was so blatantly religiophobic, which makes me cringe to even think about it since there are millions and millions of Muslims here in America, and they are Americans –  American loving Muslims. I wish he could understand when a person that is a believer of any religion commits a crime, it doesn’t mean that the religion itself condones crime.

Landi Huang, Master of Business and Science: Analytics, China

What are your views about the two major candidates?

I think no matter who ends up [becoming] the president, the country will be hard to run. Because these two candidates have such close votes, which means American people have two totally different political views. Whoever wins will make it a hard situation to start a new policy etc.

How do you feel when US politicians discuss China?

China has always been the most concerned topic during [the] election because it’s growing and Americans treat it as a threat, but how many candidates actually do what they say when they were running for president?

How do you feel about the provocative and derogatory remarks made by Trump?

Trump has no respect for women which is no doubt, but I’m surprised he can go so far with so much hatred on women and immigrants.

If you could have voted, who would you vote for?

Even if I could vote, I would not vote for any. I would only vote for governor’s election because it’s just choosing the worse one from the worst ones. And I would not want to be responsible for the bad situation caused by [either] of those two.

Husein Jauhari, BAIT and Finance, Dubai(UAE)

What are your views about the two major candidates?

For Trump, my feelings for him reflect most of what the media brands him. A racist, bigot and always changing his opinions. For Hillary, the only reason she is the better candidate is because of her opponent, a.k.a. Trump. I don’t know why I feel this way, but she is a bit more trustworthy than Trump because of her strong background in politics.

Being Muslim and coming from the Middle-East, would you like to give any kind of message to Trump and his supporters to change their mind on the proposed ban?

If you ask any Muslim immigrant, they will preach that Islam is a religion of peace. Another cliché answer is that not all Muslims are terrorists. Aside from these remarks, I would like to add that not all of us are trying to get into the U.S. to cause harm. I do believe there should be a stricter screening process, even though it is pretty tough already.

If Trump suddenly changes his attitude towards Muslims and becomes pro-Muslim, do you think Muslims would believe him, trust him and vote for him?

In my opinion, he would make amends and allow Muslims into the country again for his own business ventures. He is heavily invested in the Middle East. Speaking on behalf of Muslims, it would take more convincing to get him in our good books, especially after spreading hate and instilling fear into regular Americans.

Beethoven Plaisir, Master of Business and Science: Analytics, Haiti

What are your views about the two major candidates?

I would like to start by stating that I am an international student and not an American. I think we have two totally different kinds of candidates: one complete outsider and one who has been in politics for a long time. Trump is more practical and a businessman who has a lot of influence in New York. Before criticizing his opinions or views, I think he is an outsider in the battle and represents the silent voices in the country [for] the past 20 years. Clinton on the other hand, has been a First Lady, Secretary of State and has been fighting for people’s rights for a long time now.

Is the presidential election fight as you expected it to be or is it worse?

I have been watching the debates. Every election cycle, you have new problems. Everyone tries to share their opinion on how they are going to tackle the recent problems. The debates represent the current state of America right now. The media might portray a picture that the candidates are not representative of the society, but, in reality on the grounds, they are.

How do you feel about certain provocative remarks against minorities made by Trump?

Trump is currently polling at more than 40 percent. That means a huge part of America does want Trump to be elected as the president. His statements are a mere reflection of the new world order. With globalization, everyone can be a part of any country. Just like the jews in 1940’s, the Second World War, Hispanics are immigrating to the states in the past few years. Considering some economics trends, Globalization has led to an increased fear in Americans about losing their stability.

With Hillary’s email scandal in mind, do you think she can still lead the nation?

50 years ago, the answer to this question would be ‘yes.’ But today there is so much noise in the news, great persuasive techniques that we will prefer to say, ‘everyone makes mistakes.’ In the past, presidents have made mistakes. We are just glad they made them before getting elected as the president. They wouldn’t be considered an unfit candidate. Trump has also slipped up with his use of language without thinking of any consequences in the future. They just need to improvise and stop making those mistakes.